RMERF counts, October 30

Tuesday, October 30 Mount Lorette [Day 37] 0830-1830 (Cliff Hansen, assisted by Brian McBride). The temperature reached a high of 6C at 1500 and 1600 from a morning low of -1C and it was 4C at 1830. Ground winds were SW all day, 0-10 gusting to 15 km/h in the afternoon and ridge winds appeared to be moderate NW. Cloud cover was 70-50% cumulus and altocumulus all day apart from 1240-1310 when a light snow squall obscured the sky and ridges which otherwise were clear all day. Observing conditions were good but the day only produced 13 migrant raptors between 1053 and 1640 which is the lowest count for a non-weather affected day since October 3. The count was 3 light morph Rough-legged Hawks, 9 adult Golden Eagles and 1 unidentified eagle. All the eagles glided high above the Fisher Range and 6 of the birds were seen between 1500 and 1600. A resident adult male Northern Goshawk was seen hunting near the site at 1532. Other birds seen were 2 Belted Kingfishers that flew to the south about 30 metres above the river around 1300 that may have been migrating, 1 adult Northern Shrike, 3 American Robins flying south and a small flock of 4 cismontanus Dark-eyed Juncos. There were 6 visitors to the site today.

Tuesday, October 30 Vicki Ridge [Day 34] 0815-1800 (Peter Sherrington, observing from the Waterton 61 wellsite). The temperature at 0815 was 0.5C, the high at 1400 was 8C and it was 3C at 1800. Winds were W and were a remarkably constant 30-40 gusting 50 km/h all day. Cloud cover was 80-90% cirrostratus and altocumulus to 0900 which diminished to 0% at 1300, after which it was 10-20% cumulus and cirrus that was essentially confined to the west. There was a fairly reasonable, although rather sporadic, raptor migration with 70 birds of 7 species moving between 0821 and 1721. The count was 25 Bald Eagles (12a, 5sa, 6j, 1 undifferentiated immature and 1u), 2 adult Sharp-shinned Hawks, 1 adult Cooper’s Hawk, 7 adult Northern Goshawks (6 males, 1 female), 1 adult dark morph harlani Red-tailed Hawk, 9 light morph Rough-legged Hawks and 25 Golden Eagles (21a, 1j, 3u). The highest hourly count was 14 between 1400 and 1500 that included 9 Bald and 4 Golden Eagles. The 3 Bald Eagles that were seen at 1429 moved the cumulative total species count above the previous fall site record of 4237 that was established on November 15 last year. Other bird sightings included 4 Trumpeter Swans (3a, 1j) that flew to the WNW over Kyllo Ridge at 0943, 8 Clark’s Nutcrackers, 56 Bohemian Waxwings flying south in 3 flocks, 200 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches in 7 flocks, 7 Red Crossbills and 24 Pine Siskins.

Tuesday, October 30 Steeples [Day 36] 1315-1745 (Vance Mattson). The temperature was 10C, winds were light W and S, and cloud cover was 60% cumulus and altostratus. Despite the apparently favourable migration and observation conditions no migrants were seen and the only raptor sighting was of a single resident Golden Eagle.

About RMERF

Since 1992, Rocky Mountain Eagle Research Foundation (RMERF) volunteers have performed annual raptor migration counts at the same site location in the Kananaskis Country, Alberta, spring and fall; significantly providing data to the understanding of and amazement in watching Golden Eagles.